Maybe you’ve been following them on social media, or have browsed one of their viral interviews of being ADORABLE together – either way, you’ve heard about Chris Pratt and Anna Faris being couple goals… until recently. News of them separating has the world in shambles. Check out this video down below to get the scoop —

If you’re just gone through a break up or are trying to get over the loss of a loved one, the absence of intimacy in your life can be painful. This isn’t just about sexual intimacy; studies have shown that human beings are biologically wired to need physical touching and affection. While you may feel dating and spending time with the opposite sex helps to fill that void—don’t feel like there aren’t other ways to connect that will help you heal your broken heart! Below are a few examples of ways to fill that aching void in your life:

Hugging. Taking a second to give your family/friends a hug throughout your day may sound corny, but you would be surprised at how much this quick exchange of energy can give you a mood burst!

Massage/Spa Sessions. Treating yourself to a massage or a mani/pedi will not only give you some human connection but you will also be able to take some time to yourself to simply relax.

Pets. Adopting an animal can be especially helpful for those who are typically very nurturing in relationships. Having a furry friend to take care of can help you feel needed again—not to mention you’ll be giving the animal a better life than they probably otherwise would’ve had!

Books. Research is powerful, especially if you are going through a difficult time in your life. No matter your situation, chances are there is someone out there who has gone through something similar and can offer some insight/advice. Reading can also help by keeping your mind busy and out of the negative ruminating stage!

Although you may be hurting right now, it’s important to keep in mind you won’t be forever. The key is to maintain a positive attitude and keep yourself busy! For a step by step guide in making this happen, check out Tara Richter’s book 5 Steps to Heal a Broken Heart.

If you’e just gone through a break up or are trying to get over the loss of a loved one, the absence of intimacy in your life can be painful. This isn’t just about sexual intimacy; studies have shown that human beings are biologically wired to need physical touching and affection. While you may feel dating and spending time with the opposite sex helps to fill that void—don’t feel like there aren’t other ways to connect that will help you heal your broken heart! Below are a few examples of ways to fill that aching void in your life:

Hugging. Taking a second to give your family/friends a hug throughout your day may sound corny, but you would be surprised at how much this quick exchange of energy can give you a mood burst!

Massage/Spa Sessions. Treating yourself to a massage or a mani/pedi will not only give you some human connection but you will also be able to take some time to yourself to simply relax.

Pets. Adopting an animal can be especially helpful for those who are typically very nurturing in relationships. Having a furry friend to take care of can help you feel needed again—not to mention you’ll be giving the animal a better life than they probably otherwise would’ve had!

Books. Research is powerful, especially if you are going through a difficult time in your life. No matter your situation, chances are there is someone out there who has gone through something similar and can offer some insight/advice. Reading can also help by keeping your mind busy and out of the negative ruminating stage!

Although you may be hurting right now, it’s important to keep in mind you won’t be forever. The key is to maintain a positive attitude and keep yourself busy! For a step by step guide in making this happen, check out my book 5 Steps to Heal a Broken Heart.

If you are trying to heal a broken heart there are certain processes, however painful they may be, you will simply have to endure (like healing old wounds). But hypnotherapy is one of the few methods that can actually “fast track” the process. If you are not familiar with it, it works to bring the subconscious mind to the conscious level. This will help surface some of your suppressed emotions and is great to try while taking necessary time for yourself.

Hypnotherapy is also good to try for those new and unfamiliar with meditation. Some people do not believe in this kind of stuff, but you shouldn’t knock it until you try it. For it to have any powerful effect in your life you need to have an open mind and be willing to accept the idea that it may reduce your suffering.

People respond differently to hypnotherapy, so if you’ve never tried it before allot yourself enough time to deal with how you may feel once the session is over. For example, if you’re an emotional wreck you don’t want to go straight to work a meeting! (For the record, it’s a good sign if you are emotional afterwards; that shows you are letting yourself face things you’ve been avoiding!). You may also feel depleted and tired after. Again, this is normal and often expected.

Hypnotherapy can be used for many areas of life—not just healing a broken heart. Also, don’t be worried about the stereotyped idea of being hypnotized where you have no control over your actions or words. You will always be in 100% control.

When you feel like things in your life are spiraling out of control, meditation can be an extremely healthy and effective tool to utilize. Many people experience pain because they are trying to control a specific person or situation. When you surrender control you invite more positive energy into your life. If you are healing a broken heart, keeping a positive mindset is crucial in making yourself a whole person again. This is also a great time to distance yourself from any toxic relationships you may currently have in your life. Although we may consider someone a good friend, if they are constantly complaining and bringing in negative energy, you need to steer clear of them.

When we go through a break up it is almost guaranteed we are going to find ourselves letting sad thoughts creep into our minds. Whether you keep dwelling on the good times you two had together or can’t stop feeling betrayed, it is essential that you are able to recognize when it is happening and actively change your thoughts. A good way to do this is through mantras. Your mantra can be “He was not good for me and I need to let go” or something like “I deserve love and affection and I must give it to myself first”. As long as it is positive and allows you to actively stop the negative thinking and ruminating.

The process of healing wounds is not simple. But it is necessary. Clearing your head, heart and soul through mediation will allow you to surrender yourself to the universe and its life lessons. If you have never tried mediation before, it may seem a bit weird at first. It’s okay if it takes some getting used to, but don’t give up.

Some tips for beginner meditation:

Make sure all electronics are turned off.

Close your eyes and think of a calm, beautiful place like a beach.

Breathe deeply and concentrate on each breath as you inhale and exhale.

If thoughts of work or responsibilities drift into your mind, don’t fight them—rather let them drift on and out.

Not everyone considers themselves a creative person. But mixing it up and finding an outlet for creativity is one of the best ways for processing your emotions. As a writer, obviously the best outlet I have found for learning and expressing emotions is through writing. For anyone in the process of healing a broken heart, I highly suggest putting your thoughts and feelings down on paper. When you do so all the thoughts that have been ruminating in your mind and giving you a lot of confusion will be transformed into concrete words. When you begin writing down everything you are feeling and want to say, without any filter, you will most likely learn something about your heartache you didn’t previously.

Sometimes it’s hard to accept reality. So you when you force yourself to put it in plain black and white you have no choice but to acknowledge it. The great part about this is that it is for you. No one ever has to see it. Even if you want to write a letter to your ex to get out everything you’ve wanted to say but couldn’t, you don’t have to send it. It will help just getting it out.

If you are ready to start writing but don’t know where to start, below are some places to start.

Your childhood. Many of us have not dealt with childhood wounds, so starting to reflect no your upbringing can be enough to get you started. How was/is your relationship with your parents? How about their relationship with one another? How may this be affecting you as a person today?

Who was your first love? How did it end? What did you learn from it?

How were your high school and college years?

What’s going on now in your life?

The writing process will help you tap into suppressed emotions. Of course, not everyone will be open to writing as their creative outlet. The good thing is that there are limitless activities to try: painting, drawing, singing, dancing— whatever gives you time to yourself!

When a meaningful relationship fails, it feels like our souls have been ripped from our bodies. When experiencing heartache, it becomes nearly impossible to function as a regular human being. So how do you heal your broken heart? The first step is to take time off from life.

Take a vacation; it doesn’t need to be a fancy get-away. You just need an environment that allows you to have time and peace to face your emotions. Make sure you handle all your responsibilities accordingly ahead of time (bills, children, work, etc.) so that when you do take a few days for yourself, you will have no distractions.

When going through a break up it is important to have distractions and surround yourself with positive people. But, first, it is essential that you take the necessary time to be alone so you can let your pain surface and come to terms with it. Keeping busy will only prolong the healing process; you won’t effectively overcome your suffering until you have spent a significant amount of time in your own sanctity to focus solely on yourself.

While on your vacation (whether it be a 2 week cruise or a weekend in a cabin), unplug from the world. This means no TV, no phone, no computer. Don’t even check your Facebook feed. It will all be there when you are ready to come back.

This part can be especially hard for people who are always on the go. At first it might feel a little uncomfortable because we are not used to functioning this way—but it will pay off in the long run.

The process of aligning your heart, mind and soul can, and probably will, be a long and grueling process. But you will become a better, stronger version of yourself after doing it. Being alone will force you to feel your emotions, hear the thoughts you’ve been trying to suppress and ultimately give you the clear perspective you need for the future steps of healing your broken heart.

The wonderful thing about life is that we can all learn from one another no matter what path our lives lead us on.

I found myself at a party over the weekend with many new people. Being adventurous and always open to what life has to bring, I of course was up for the experience. The location only a few blocks from a neighborhood I lived near during my marriage. It seemed surreal to be venturing back to my old stomping grounds about 2 years from my divorce. As I enter the neighborhood I had passed so many times before during my married life, I was excited to see where the night would go.

As cocktails flowed and music blared I waited for the bathroom in the hallway. A man asked me how I was doing and I replied fine. We eventually got to the “What do you do?” topic and I responded as always that I’m a Dating Coach, Published Author& Radio Show Host. He replied as most, surprised, “Oh really?” I love what I do because no matter what age, race, or status everyone is looking for love and it always sparks conversation.
He replied that he just got out of prison and was in for 8 years and how should he go about looking for someone now. The funny thing is if you looked at us from a far you would think that a middle class blonde Caucasian girl would have nothing in common with an African American male with a gold grill just fresh out of prison. Yet, you cannot judge a book by its cover.

So I asked him what he learned while he was in prison. He told me he was a drug dealer and was doing well, yet was snitched on. He was sent away for 8 years, while he was there he acquired a degree in the technical field and a personal trainer certificate. I told him that was great he had an opportunity to grow and develop.

However, he kept protesting that he had a good thing going in the drug business and he wouldn’t have gotten caught if it wasn’t for that person ratting him out. He kept focusing on that issue. I made him stop and pause. I said, “Wait a second, if you were not caught you would not have acquired your 2 degrees to function in society with a legal career, so shouldn’t you thank that person who snitched? Shouldn’t you thank them for saving your life?” He paused thinking it over and he agreed and said I was right.

He went on to say he didn’t have a good family life and everything he learned was from the streets. I shared with him my stories that I never learned healthy relationship behaviors from my family either. My childhood was very dysfunctional so I had to teach myself beneficial habits in adulthood. I had to teach myself health and nutrition at 16 years old and how a nourishing interaction is between a man and a woman.

Sometimes you are born into a healthy familia status and other times you are not. It doesn’t matter if you’re middle class family or a family in the ghetto. You have to take the responsibility upon yourself in adulthood to teach yourself those life skills. Either it be you learn it on the streets or from immersing yourself into books. Whichever way you look at it we shared that common bond that we had to teach ourselves what our parents were unable to do for us as children.

He turned and looked at me with a new found respect and said, ” I’m so happy I spoke to you tonight.” It made my heart warm. This is why I love what I do. I can always help someone gain a new perspective on life. It doesn’t matter who they are, we are all human beings trying to make it in this life.

I told him to keep growing and developing himself as a whole, complete human being. That when he envisions what he wants out of a partner, all the qualities inside and out, to then become that person himself. Once you become what it is you want you will then attract a person with similar qualities. He developed for those 8 years because life gave him an opportunity to only work on himself. Now it’s his choice, his own free will to choose to continue the development in order to become a wholesome person and find true love.